Port railway line electrified

On the day that the new 2009 timetable for rail transport starts, the Betuweroute (the freight railway line that runs from the port of Rotterdam to the German border -Zevenaar) will come a step closer to completion. The first electric trains left on 14 December, starting at 07.00 hrs, without problems; an important phase in the change to the port railway line. With the switch to 25kV, freight carriers can now have their goods transported electrically on the Kijfhoek (Zwijndrecht)-Pernis stretch.

25kV on the overhead contact line of the Port Railway Line will lead, in time, to the mass deployment of electric locomotives. It is an important bonus for carriers to be able to reach Waalhaven electrically, therefore without the need to change locomotive. From now on, freight carriers can reach the container handling points more quickly, which makes a difference in terms of costs and they use less diesel locomotives in doing so, which is better for the environment.

Source: Transportweekly